Fantasia out again Thursday 10/25 — Page 3

What a nasty comment. I hope people dont act that way to you when you are very sick. Like I said this board is made up of some hateful miserable people.

Lets just hope she gets better soon.

since reading the comments from the here it was obvious Fantasia wasn't welcome from the beginning. luckily for her she focused and did a great job as Celie when many experts from this forum expected the show to close a week after her opening.

until we hear an official statement everything else is conjecture and speculation and a waste of time.

as for the Grammy comment, her song with Aretha was just released and won't be eligible to be voted on until late 2008.

believe me her recording fans are looking forward to her return to the industry just as much as the "broadway experts" here are looking forward to her departure.

dream on i understand the passion but you can't argue with people who already "know everything."

Updated On: 10/29/07 at 01:40 AM

"She was out tonight, but the show was just as good without her. I say get rid of her."

So she was out again..damn i feel for the ticket holders i don't understand what is going on..no official annoucement is just wrong.

Won the World Theater Award and Audience award so me personally your little theory is null and void..lol

In the words of Jackie Hoffman, "For my performance in HAIRSPRAY, I won the Theatre World Award. Yeah, they give out about 40 of those a year."

And don't get me started on those laughable Broadway.com Audience Awards.

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Updated On: 10/29/07 at 08:55 AM

"I think the Producers are fully aware of Fantasia's situation and will not make any official announcement unless they are sure Fantasia cannot continue."

I tend to disagree,i could understand if she was out for a day or two but she missed the whole week and some people travel far, thats why i said what i did...i got love for Fantasia but business is business.

"So what hospital is she in? When will we get a press release?"

Medical information in this country is private and confidential, and by no stretch of any law do you have any right to know that information.

First of all, to say that the role isn't that demanding is crazy. First of all, she sings throughout the show, whether its small little interludes between songs such as "Or your no God at all" which is belted. "The high note at the end of Miss Celie's Pants" or her eleven o' clock number I'm here. Granted, everything she sings isn't that vocally demanding, however, when you have too sing seven shows a week, do publicity, and try to have a life. Singing something as easy as twinkle twinkle little star becomes demanding to someone who isn't use to the demands of broadway. Not to mention the acting the show requires is enough to make anyone tired just looking at it. I have seen her in the role and I have seen Lachanze twice, and both of them gives emotionally exhausting performances. Its easy to judge when your on the outside looking in. I'm an actor and I know pulling that kind of schedule is hard for the most seasoned professional.

I think the producers will definitely cut Fantasia some slack because she is bringing in so much money for this show. She really may be sick. I am of the mindset that she probably wasn't physically prepared for such a grueling schedule and it is catching up with her now.

The first time I saw THE COLOR PURPLE (the third preview), the audience was doing the talking back and I loved it! I found it so liberating. It really added to my enjoyment of the show. Ive been back five times since and continue to love hearing my fellow audience members discover what I love about this show. It's not like anything I've experienced at any other show, but it fits with this show specifically.

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Christine Ebersole got slammed at the end of her run for missing shows, too. Audra McDonald and Donna Murphy as well. So this thread is nothing new. It's just that Fantasia seems to attract more bashers. And by the way, to the Diana Degarmo fans here (yes a few still exist), it's been three and a half years, maybe it's time to move on.

Fantasia had an excellent attendance record until late summer when she got sick. We don't know her current medical condition (except that she was in the hospital), but I do know that Fantasia has performed as Celie while very ill and throwing up backstage.

Even if Fantasia never steps on the stage again, she managed to perform a miracle---a pure stage novice, who had never even seen a Broadway show, stepped into one of the most demanding roles on Broadway and received critical raves better than the Tony winner preceding her. There are countless stories of people who have been thrilled and moved by her performance, some even calling it a life changing event.

Even with her recent absences, if you are in the area and have an opportunity to see Fantasia, go for it. If she's out, you'll get a full refund. But don't take my word for it. Here's another in a long line of Broadway articles/reviews extolling Fantasia:

"By definition, miracles don't occur very often -- and they're almost always one-time events, easily missed by the masses. It goes without saying that if a miracle is scheduled to happen regularly for several months, one would be a fool not to make plans to witness it. . . . Just how phenomenal is she in the part? Well, a theater critic friend of mine who caught her performance before I did told me Fantasia had stopped the show with a song that he didn't even remember La Chanze singing. When I saw Fantasia for myself, I felt that all of the raves she had received were understatements. . . ."
link

Bringiton:

This show is made for feedback from the audience.

I'm sure some of the people talking back at this show go to other shows and are respectful.


And HILLTOP - GREAT POST.
Let's see how many people ignore it and focus on the negative.

Updated On: 10/30/07 at 02:50 PM

"Christine Ebersole got slammed at the end of her run for missing shows, too. Audra McDonald and Donna Murphy as well."

Almost all of Ms. Ebersole's missed performances in Grey Gardens, to my knowledge, were previosuly announced. There may have been one or two that were not. There weren't all that many anyway. She also had a more demanding role than Fantasia, a MUCH more demanding role. Also, from the time she won the Tony to the unfortunate closing of the show, I do not think she missed. Saying that "at the end of her run" she was slammed for missing performances is slander.
Ms. McDonald missed performances in 110 in the Shade due to the unexepected death of her father. That role is also more demanding than Fantasia's.
Ms. Murphy was only out once or twice in LoveMusik and was going through a serious vocal ailment durring Wonderful Town, not a minor tinge. Both the roles of Ruth and Lenya in those shows are much more difficult than Fantasia.
Let's face it. Fantasia is a pop star doing "the Broadway thing. She is being lazy. The superb theatre actresses I mentioned got their roots on Broadway and will continue to do it for the rest of their lives. They are not lazy. I can tell you now that I saw Ms. Ebersole do Grey Gardens with a rather nasty cold durring January and she was quite wonderful. Fantasia would probably not be there.

Updated On: 10/30/07 at 07:25 PM

jv, I hesitate to respond to you, because you seem to have some obsession towards Fantasia and I don't want to get you going. (lol)

My point in referencing Ebersole, Audra and Donna Murphy was not to suggest that they are lazy (they're not!) but to point out that Fantasia is not the first leading Broadway actress to be criticized on this board for missing shows. Beginning of the run, end of the run, whatever. I wasn't talking about Audra in 110, but she has been criticized in the past for taking time off. So have Tony winners like Donna Murphy, Christine Ebersole, and LaChanze.

"from the time she won the Tony to the unfortunate closing of the show, I do not think she missed."
Wrong. I know Ebersole took at least one show off in the last week or so because there was a thread here titled "shame shame" that went after her for it. Ridiculous, but there it is.

And she was criticized for taking time off around the Tonys.

As for your claim that the role of Celie is a cake walk, I think many who have seen the show would disagree. See HollidayForever's statement: "to say that the role isn't that demanding is crazy."

Did you see the show with LaChanze? Maybe she didn't make a strong impact on you. It's hard to imagine that someone could watch Fantasia in the Color Purple and not come away with a degree of respect for the demands of the role. For months she's received rave reviews like this one, from talkinbroadway just a couple of weeks ago:

"Fantasia knocks this out of the park. I thought she'd be good, but I was not expecting this incredibly layered, nuanced performance that she is giving. She sings the role great, of course, but she really does act it very well, and ages wonderfully as the show goes on. I was blown away by this performance, and hope she continues to do theater after this is over, because she's amazingly talented. I was deeply moved by her performance. I was VERY close to queuing up at TKTS again to buy a ticket for the evening show.

This afternoon was the second time I saw a mid-show standing ovation (the first was when Stokes sang "Impossible Dream" in the MOLM revival). It was, of course, after Fantasia finished "I'm Here." The audience jumped to its feet as she was on the last note. It wasn't the least bit forced or drawn out, either."